Page 6 - United Nations

Russia, Ukraine trade drone strikes as Zelenskyy gears up for UN talks

Russia and Ukraine swapped accusations of deadly drone strikes on civilian areas of their countries Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipated a very intense week of diplomacy at the UN General Assembly in New York, where the Security Council was expected to discuss the more than three-year war. Zelenskyy has tried to give momentum to a US-led peace effort, offering a ceasefire and a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has taken issue with some of the proposals, however, and an end to the bloodshed appears no closer. Additionally, international concerns have mounted recently that the fighting could spread beyond Ukraine's borders as European countries rebuked Russia for what they said were provocations. The incidents have included Russian drones landing on Polish soil and Russian fighter aircraft entering Estonian airspace. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said on social media that Russia was testing NATO's political and military respons

UN meet to focus on Donald Trump's return, Gaza war, Ukraine conflict

"Geopolitical divides widening. Conflicts raging. Impunity escalating. Our planet overheating," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said

US Senate confirms Mike Waltz as Trump's ambassador to UN after delays

The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations, filling the last vacancy in President Donald Trump's Cabinet after eight months of delays and the withdrawal of a previous nominee. The bipartisan vote for Waltz came after a recent procedural hurdle sent his nomination back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where it had to be voted on again on Wednesday. The Senate did not vote on a separate matter that would formally designate Waltz as a representative at the General Assembly, due to objections from Democrats, according to a person familiar with the Senate deliberations. It is unclear how or whether Waltz would be able to participate at the annual gathering in New York next week. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

India backs UNGA move allowing Abbas to address session via video

India on Friday voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that allows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its upcoming high-level session through video after the US denied visas to Palestinian officials, preventing their participation in person. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution titled Participation by the State of Palestine' during its 80th session, with 145 nations voting in favour, five against and six abstentions. The US and Israel opposed the measure, while India was among those supporting it. The resolution expressed regret over the US' decision to deny visas to and revoke visas of Palestinian representatives, which effectively barred them from participating in the UN meetings. It decided that President Abbas can address the General Debate of the 80th UNGA session on September 25 via a pre-recorded statement, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall after introduction by its representative physically present in the venue. The

UN Security Council votes down effort to halt Iran snapback sanctions

A UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme failed Friday after weeks of last-ditch diplomatic talks appeared to break down days before the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders. The resolution put forth by South Korea, the current president of the 15-member council, did not garner the support of the nine countries required to halt the series of sanctions from taking effect at the end of the month, as outlined in Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Only four countries China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria supported the effort, with some using the meeting to blast the European leaders for what they called an unjustified and illegal action against Iran. Their only goal now is to use the council as a tool for their bad faith play, as a lever to exert pressure on the state in favour of a state which is trying to defend its sovereign interests, Vassily Alekseevich Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to

UN faces funding crunch as China, US delay billions in contributions

China, now the second-largest contributor to the UN budget, has been delaying its payments, stretching from a two-month delay in 2021 to nearly 10 months at the end of 2024

Starvation as warfare: UN panel finds Israel committed genocide in Gaza

A UN panel accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, citing 60,000 Palestinian deaths and the use of starvation as warfare. Israel rejected the report as 'fake' and biased

India backs UN resolution on two-state solution for Palestine conflict

India joined 142 nations at the UNGA in backing the New York Declaration, urging a two-state solution for Palestine and an end to violence, settlements, and annexation in occupied territories

UN chief calls for stronger peace efforts amid rising global conflicts

Pursuing the cause of peace is 'the beating heart' of the Organisation, 'but today, peace is under siege,' Guterres said

Afghanistan quake destroys 5,230 homes; 362 villages still unreachable

An initial United Nations assessment of the impact of Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake found 5,230 homes destroyed and 672 damaged in 49 villages but the UN hasn't been able to get to the vast majority of the remote villages. Shannon O'Hara, the coordination chief for the UN humanitarian office in Afghanistan, said Monday that damaged roads in the country's rugged and mountainous east where the 6.0 magnitude quake struck have made it extremely difficult to assess the impact in the 441 affected villages. A series of aftershocks ranging from 5.2 to 5.6 in magnitude added to the difficulties, she said. The earthquake struck on August 31, killing at least 2,200 people, and that figure could rise as more bodies are recovered. The United Nations estimates the quake has affected up to 500,000 people, more than half of them children and some of them Afghans forcibly returned from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. As an example of the difficulties the UN team has faced, O'Hara said it

PM Modi to skip UNGA debate, Jaishankar set to deliver address on Sept 27

The UN has updated its speaker list for the 80th General Assembly. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India, while PM Modi will not take part in the high-level debate

Ukraine war fallout, fuel prices hurting Global South: India at UNGA

India has voiced regret over the Ukraine conflict's collateral consequences, including prices of fuel, saying countries of the Global South have been left to fend for themselves, as Delhi underscored that diplomatic efforts hold the promise to end the war and bring lasting peace. India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. We maintain that the loss of innocent lives is unacceptable, and no solution can be found on the battlefield, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Thursday. Addressing the UN General Assembly debate on The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine', Harish said India continues to "note with regret that the collateral consequences of the conflict, including prices of fuel, is affecting the world at large and particularly the countries of the Global South, which have been left to fend for themselves. From our perspective, it is critical that their voices are heard, and their ...

'Serious attack': Israeli drone strikes near UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel as they were working to clear roadblocks, the force said Wednesday. No one was hurt in the attack. The peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL described the Tuesday morning incident as one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets since the cessation of hostilities in November that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to the peacekeepers, who were working to clear roadblocks that hindered access to a UN position along the border line. One grenade hit within 20 metres (yards) and three others within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles, it said, adding the drones were observed returning toward Israel. UNIFIL said the Israeli military had been informed in advance of the peacekeeping force's road clearance work in the area, southeast of the

Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen's capital, detain 11 staff members

Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday raided offices of the United Nations' food, health and children's agencies in Yemen's capital, detaining 11 UN employees, officials said. The rebels tightened security across Sanaa following the Israeli killing of their prime minister and several Cabinet members. Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the World Food Program, told The Associated Press that security forces raided the agencies' offices in the Houthi-controlled capital on Sunday morning. Also raided were offices of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, according to a UN official and a Houthi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media. The UN official said armed forces raided the offices and questioned employees in the parking lot. Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for UNICEF, said a number of the agency's staffers were detained, and UNICEF was seeking additional information from the Houthis. Both Etefa and Ammar said their agencies were conducti

Palestinian president urges US to reinstate visa ahead of UN meetings

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office on Saturday urged the US government to reverse its unusual decision to revoke his visa, weeks before he was meant to appear at the UN's main annual meeting and an international conference about creating a Palestinian state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month's annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, the State Department disclosed Friday. Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years, and generally leads the Palestinian delegation. We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation," Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday. We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock," he said. He urged .

US revokes visas of Palestinian president, other officials ahead of UNGA

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month's annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, where the Palestinians previously have been represented. A State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss visa issues that are normally confidential, disclosed Friday that Abbas and other officials from the Palestinian Authority were among those affected. The move is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to target Palestinians with visa restrictions and comes as the Israeli military declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone. The State Department also suspended a program that had allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to come to the US for medical treatment after a social media outcry by some conservatives. The department said in a statement earlier that Rubio also ordered some new visa applications from Palestinian officials, ...

Israel declares Gaza's largest city combat zone, halts humanitarian pauses

Israel's military on Friday said it was suspending mid-day pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City, calling it a a dangerous combat zone. The city was among the places that Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10 am to 8 pm. The tactical pauses lasted applied to Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three places where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering. The pivot comes as Israel prepares to broaden its offensive, mobilising tens of thousands of troops to seize Gaza City. Israel's military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities. Israel has said in the past that Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids. The city also is home to some of the territory's critical infrastructure and health facilities. The United Nations said Thursday that the ...

Indian govt, UN WFP ink pact for fortified rice supply to crisis-hit zones

India on Monday agreed to supply fortified rice to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to aid the food and nutritional requirements of the most vulnerable populations in crisis-hit zones globally. A letter of intent (LoI) was signed between India's Food Ministry and WFP here, underscoring the strength of global partnerships. "This LoI lays the ground to ensure a dependable supply of foodgrains for humanitarian distribution," WFP said in a statement. The initiative signifies the culmination of discussions at the February 2025 Executive Board side event in Rome, where representatives from the Indian government and WFP explored ways to collaborate. By sourcing rice from India, WFP will utilise the resources of an agricultural surplus nation to deliver life-saving aid and make tangible progress against hunger. "India is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam the earth is one family and collective responsibility towards each other and their shared future. The country's ...

India, WFP to supply 200k tonnes of fortified rice for humanitarian needs

India and WFP signed a pact to supply 200,000 tonnes of fortified rice over five years from FCI warehouses to meet humanitarian food and nutrition needs globally

India's food transformation key to global hunger fight: WFP Deputy Chief

As global hunger surges amid conflict, climate shocks, and a devastating 40 per cent funding cut to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), India's remarkable transformation from a food-scarce nation to a global aid supplier has emerged as a critical lifeline, WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau said on Monday. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Skau emphasised that cooperation with emerging powers like India has become essential as Western funding declines. "It's critical. For one, because of Western OECD countries pulling back on the funding. But I think also, importantly, because of the solutions that India has found for itself to deal with its food security," he said. Skau, also the Chief Operating Officer of WFP, highlighted that India's homegrown solutions are more applicable to crisis-hit regions in Africa and Asia than recent experiences from Europe or North America. The country's innovative approaches, including grain ATMs and rice fortification, are now reshaping relief ...